Cattle-guard for railroads.



PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

, APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1905.

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ravine 5-. BALL, or BROCK, NEBRASKA.

CATTLE-GENRE son amines-D s;

To all whom itmay concerns Be-it knownthat Llnvnve JL- zen of the United States ,residing at Brock, in thecounty of Nemaha-andState of Nebraska, have invented anew and useful-Cattle-Guard' for Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cattle-guards for railroads to be used at crossingsto prevent horses, cattle, and other animals from passing onto the rightvof way and it has for its object to-improve' andsimplify the construction and operationofthis classofdevicesr With these and other" ends in viewpwhich will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood,: the same consistsin the improved construction and novel arrangement and. combination of; parts, which will be heremafter' fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying. drawlngs has been illustrateda simple and preferred form of theinvention, it being, however, understood that no'limitation is necessarily made to theme-- cise structural details therein-exhibited, but that the right isreserved to'any changes alfor the purpose of exposing the subjacent construction. Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the supporting-ties, showing one of the shaft-supporting spikes driven into the same.v

Corresponding parts in the several figures areindicated throughout by. similar characters of reference.

A main supporting-shaft 1 is supported beneath the rails 2 2 and transversely to the latter in eyes or'transverse perforations 3,

' formed in spikes 4, a suitable number of which are driven in a tie or cross-timber 5,

which latter has been shown as being approximately square in cross-section and set on edge, as clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings,

, the upper edge being trimmed at the points where it supports the rails. Upon the shaft 1 arefulcrumed a plurality of pairs of levers L, each including an arm 6, depending from the shaft, an arm 7, extendingobliquely from Specificationof I'iet'ters 'Patent. Application filedNovemher 7, 1905. 7 Serial No.- 286,23 5.

ratenteuunne 1 9, 1906.

the lower end of the arm 6 in an -inward direction or] toward the crossing, an arm 8,. divergingf rom'the arm? outwardlyin the di rection of-the railroad, and a brace '9 connecti ng the arms 6 and 7 Y and serving-to strengthen the structure. "The arm s*-7,and8' ofl the levers terminate bracketeplates; '10 i of which are disposed approximately in thesame horizontal plane, which 'is, approximately coincidentwith the horizontalgplane of the headsof the rails, and upon these bracket-plates are supportedguard-plates1 1 one of said plates being connected witheach pair of levers; Where thereis'only. a single track, as shown in thedfawingathfee sets-of levers and three guard-plates are re 'uired,

' one set being disposedbetweentherais and one .setadjacent to each of "the rails. If there is more than one track, it is-obvious that additional sets of leversgan'd guard-plates will 'be required; v i

A' cross-beam 5f is disposedladjacent the cross beam 5, and into said cross-beam are driven spikes: 4, having a 'e'rtu-red heads 3, supporting a shaft 12 T 'e spikes 4 are in every respect like those used to-support the ,shaft 1 and, as well as thelatter supportingspikes, are provided with enlargements 13 upon the heads thereof to-enable them-to be conveniently driven into position. The shaft 12 supports-a plurality of pairs of" levers I l/the inner ends of which are extended downwardly and connected pivotally with links 15, the'opposite ends of which are connected pivotfally with the lower ends of the levers L. The outer ends of the levers 14 are normally disposed in the hori zontal'plane of the flanges of the railsZ, and securely connected with said levers are gates G, which.

latter are preferably constructed of strap-iron of suitable dimensions, the straps being set on edge and suitably "connected with each other so as to form meshes or openings of any desired dimensions. These gates are obviously adapted toswing upon the shaft 12 to an approximately vertical position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the upper or outer portions of the gates are preferably provided with barbs 16 of any suitable construction ico to deter animals from pushing against them when the gates are elevated.

The guard plates or platforms 11 may be constructed of cast-iron or other suitable material, and they may be provided with openings 17 for the pur ose of decreasing the weight and also toa mitof proper drainage.

Said plates or platforms are also provided with upstanding barbs 18, which will prevent animals from standing thereon.

Cross-beams 5 are disposed adjacent to the inner sides of the cross-beams 5, the upper inclined sides of said cross-beams serving to support the platforms 11 when the latter have been depressed to a certain extent.

It will be seen from the foregoing descrip- 'tion that when the inner free ends of the platforms or plates 11 are depressed the levers L will swingvto the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus pushing the links 15 and the free ends of the levers 14 in an outward direction, thus lifting the gates to the approximately vertical position indicated in dotted lines in Fig- 2. It is obvious that when the platforms are thus depressed by an animal stepping thereon the gate, by swinging upwardly in front of the animal, will bar the further progress of the animal, which will also be rendered uncomfortable by the presence of the barbs upon the platforms and upon the gates, so that it will speedily turn, thus permitting the parts of the guard to resume their normal position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a cattle-guard, a barbed platform supported for movement in a vertical are, a

supporting-shaft, a supporting-timber, and spikes engaging said timber and having perforated heads supporting the shaft.

2. In a cattle-guard, a supporting-timber, a plate or platform movable in a vertical arc, and a lever pivotally connected with the supporting-timber and having divergent arms terminating in bracket members supporting said plate or platform.

3. In a cattle-guard, a lever having a depending arm and divergent platform-supporting arms, a gate-supporting lever, and a link connecting the gate-supporting lever with the depending arm of the platform-supporting lever.

4. In a cattle-guard, a lever having divergent platform-supporting arms, and a supporting-timber disposed between said platform-supporting arms.

5. In a cattle-guard, a supporting-lever having divergent arms, a platform supported upon said arms, and a supporting-timber extending between said arms and platform to engage and support the latter when depressed.

6. In a cattle-guard, levers having depending arms and divergent platform-supporting arms, auxiliary levers supported at a distance from the platform-supporting levers, a gate member connected rigidly with the auxiliary levers, and connecting means between'the gate-carrying levers and the platform-supporting levers whereby pressure upon the free inner end of the'platform shall serve to elevate the free outer end or edge of the gate.

7. A platform supported to move in a vertical are, a gate supported to move in a vertical arc, supporting means for the platform including divergent arms, a timber disposed between said platform and divergent arms to limit the downward movement of the platform, supporting means for the gate, and connections between thesupporting means, the platform and the gate whereby downward pressure upon the free end of the platform will serve to elevate the free end of the gate.

8. A lever supported to swing in a vertical plane and having divergent arms, a platform supported upon said arms, and a timber supported between said arms and platform, said timber being tilted to present a flat side to support the platform when the latter is depressed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IRVING J. BALL.

Witnesses:

S. VANDEVORT, T. M. BUCKRIDGE 

